CHANDIGARH: On Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a new initiative to enroll and revalidate 10 lakh construction workers for free. He instructed officials to directly engage laborers in welfare schemes through special camps.
During a review meeting of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers’ (BOCW) Welfare Board, he emphasized his government’s commitment to ensuring that all construction workers receive social security benefits, welfare support, and opportunities for skill development.
Mann expressed regret that welfare schemes for laborers have not reached their full potential due to long processing times, despite available funds. “Currently, only 2.21 lakh workers are registered with the BOCW Welfare Board, which is insufficient given the extensive construction activities and urbanization in Punjab. Therefore, more registration camps will be set up across the state,” he noted.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister announced that the registration fee would be waived during this special campaign to encourage greater participation. “It has come to our attention that many workers avoid registration due to a Rs 145 registration fee. To encourage enrollment during this campaign, no fee will be required,” he added. He anticipates that around 10 lakh workers will be registered or revalidated, with the Punjab Government covering an estimated cost of Rs 15 crore.
He also mentioned that all workers who do not benefit within a year will have their registration fees covered by the state. Additionally, he has directed the Labour Department to host special evening camps in villages to accommodate workers returning home.
Moreover, Mann instructed officials to enhance facilities for workers at labor chowks, such as shelters and access to drinking water. In the previous financial year, the processing time for welfare schemes was 203 days; this has now been reduced to 73 days to improve access for workers.
Highlighting the importance of skill development, he directed the Board to provide details of 50,000 registered construction workers to the Punjab Skill Development Mission for training. He emphasized that training should take place at construction sites, training centers, and camps.
Furthermore, Mann called for ensuring that women laborers are included in the government’s welfare initiatives and stressed that financial assistance under the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna should reach them.
